Cheesey Angst
by Poppy1
Summary: Yet another sentimental Potterfic. Sirius escapes from prison and makes a stop at Molly Weasley's house.


I don't own any of these characters...wish I did but hey, life goes on...  
  
  
  
The Truth  
  
It was quiet. Not a peaceul quiet however, more tense. The kind of quite you are almost afraid to break. No wind desturbed the sleeping trees.  
  
As he caught site of The Burrow, the man slowed down, as if reluctant to go on.He had gone through much, but it was this that he feared most of all.  
  
There was only one display of life within the house-a flickering candle on an upstairs windowsill. The warmth from it seemed to hearten him, and he moved on.  
  
* * *  
  
Molly Weasley pulled back the bedcovers. The day had been long and, with her children at school and her husband up North with his work, she felt lonlier than she cared to admit.  
  
Once in bed, she pointed her wand at the candle which went out immediately, and, putting her head on her pillow, she closed her eyes and was asleep almost instantly.  
  
* * *  
  
The next thing she knew, was that something cold an clammy was covering her mouth. She opened her eyes and saw a deathly pale face staring down at her, looking as frightened as she felt, his hand suppressing her startled scream.  
  
"Molly please!" the figure said urgently, "I'll let you go if you'll only listen!"  
  
Molly nodded and he removed his hand, but he kept a wand pointing at her-a wand that she soon reallised belonged to her!  
  
"Do you recognise me, Molly?" the man asked.  
  
Molly looked at him. She knew who he was. She had known the very second she opened her eyes.He had changed though, oh yes, he'd changed. His face was thinner, gaunter and had a haunted look about it now, and his chin was scarred and showed the beginnings of a beard; but in his eyes, although duller and filled with a despair she never thought she'd see in them, there was still a tiny spark of the person she used to know. She would never fail to recognise Sirius Black. The man who'd betrayed them all...  
  
"Sirus!" she spat, and tried to pull away.  
  
"Molly I-"  
  
"What do you want?" she asked, coldly.  
  
She was shivering. Weither with fear or hatred or both, Sirius couldn't tell.  
  
He touched her arm and she flinched.  
  
"Don't touch me!" she said, her voice full of hate.  
  
He looked at her sadly.  
  
"You believe it too." he whispered. "I tried to tell myself you wouldn't..All the time I was in Azkaban the thought that you might believe me kept me alive."  
  
"You deserve to rot there!" said Molly, her voice quivering with anger.  
  
Sirius stood up and looked at her.  
  
"Well you're not the woman I thought you were." he said, and walked calmly out of the room.  
  
* * *  
  
Once outside, he sank down against a tree and sobbed great hoarse sobs that tore the night sky. It was the first time he'd wept in fourteen years.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
It took her some time to notice the book. It was dirty and battered looking, only just being held together by a length of string, which was wrapped around it several times and knotted at the front. In silver writing on the cover, it read: Sirius Black.  
  
She pulled at the string, and it gave way easily. The moment the book was opened, she was hit by a wave of nausea. The room began to spin, and suddenly, she found herself standing in a place she used to know very well- the Gryffindor common room! Sitting at the far end of the room was Sirus himself, surrounded by his friends, James, Remus and...and her sixteen year old self! Suddenly it hit her-this was Sirius' memory! Looking round the room, she saw her other friends, Lilly and Arthur, arm in arm, and she almost smiled to remember how the two had once been an item.  
  
But before she had time to remember any more, the scene shifted again and she saw Sirius standing alone outside the Fat Lady. He was dressed in his outdoor robes and a sliver of moonlight from a nearby window illuminated his face. Presently, a similarly dressed Molly emerged, and, without a word, he grabbed her hand, and they ran out of the school, barely suppressing their laughter.  
  
Once outside, they sank down against a tree and laughed so hard they almost cried.When they were calm again, Sirius delved his hands into his robes and brought out something gold and glistening. It was a locket.  
  
"Happy birthday, Mol." He said, grinning shyly at her. Inside was a picture of himself and Molly, waving cheekily at the camera.  
  
He fastened it around her neck and kissed her lightly on the lips.  
  
"I love you." she whispered, and he kissed her again.  
  
Suddenly, she was standing on a bridge. She could see the back of Sirius leaning over the edge, his head in his hands.He was older now, by ten years or so. She saw her former self approach him slowly.  
  
"Sirius-"she began to say, but he backed away.  
  
"Don't! Don't make this any harder for me!"  
  
"Sirius please! I love you both but..."  
  
"But Arthur is the one you're marrying." He finished, bitterly.  
  
Blindly she held out her arms for him, and, with a hoarse sigh, he hugged her tightly.Thet stayed like that for some time, and then, Sirius let go. He put her head in his hands and surveyed her face with his moody eyes, and then he kissed her lightly on the forhead and left her standing alone.  
  
The next few images flew by Molly in a flash. Memories of James, Lilly and baby Harry all passed her by in what felt like seconds. Then, she was standing next to Dumbledore and James, who were both speaking urgently to Sirius, who was shaking his head.  
  
" I can't!" He cried. "What if I were to fall under the imperious curse? I could never forgive myself if I betrayed you!"  
  
Dumbledore turned to him.  
  
"Sirius, there is not one person I trust as the Potters' secret keeper more than you."  
  
Molly grimaced at this. She wanted to scream out that Sirius would betray them all, but she knew it was no use.  
  
Sirius looked at the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry,"he sighed, "but I can't do it. I just can't.Please ask Peter to do it-he seems to feel more confident than I do."  
  
Dumbledore shook his head sadly.  
  
" I see no good coming from this."  
  
Molly gasped. If Peter had been Lilly and James' secret keeper...then perhaps Sirius had not been a death eater. But he had murdered all those muggles. Had the grief sent him insane...or was he innocent of that too?  
  
Suddenly, she was standing in what she remembered as being Sirius' old flat. He was lying flat out on his bed.He was unshaven and looked exhausted. There was the remains of a fire burning half heartedly in the hearth. With a small flash, the head of Dumbledore appeared in the tiny flames.  
  
"Sirius you imbecile! Get up and get this fire burning!"  
  
Sirius jumped up and pointed his wand at the flames, which immediately burned brightly.  
  
"What's happened?" asked Sirius, sensing his urgency.  
  
Dumbledore for once seemed lost for words, and looked at the floor.  
  
Sirius went white.  
  
"It's...it's James and Lilly...what...are they alright?"  
  
Dumbledore shook his head.  
  
"Hagrid found them this morning."  
  
Sirius said nothing, but his face became almost transparent.  
  
"And...what of Harry..?"  
  
"He lives.And Voldermort has disappeared.It seems that Harry defeated him alone.The shadow has passsed...for some time at least, but it was at the sacrifice of your friends."  
  
"Peter..."he said, his voice trembling, and before Dumbledore could stop him, he had rushed outside.  
  
That was it. She was alone again, on her bed. She knew what happened next.Sirius was innocent. Peter was the one who betrayed them.  
  
Quickly, she threw on her dresing gown and rushed outside.  
  
* * *  
  
It did not take her long to find him. He was sitting against a tree with his head in his hands.  
  
"Sirius." she whispered.  
  
He looked up, startled.  
  
"Mol! You-" but she silenced him.  
  
Without a word, she brought out something gold and sparkling, and handed it to him.  
  
"It's...you kept it!"  
  
She nodded, and brushed her lips against his.  
  
"I love you." He said, and she kissed him again. 


End file.
